Addiction-Like Eating Behaviors Addiction-Like Eating Behaviors (ALEB) refers to a constellation of compulsive consumption patterns that functionally and phenomenologically resemble the criteria used to diagnose substance use disorders (SUDs). This concept has gained significant traction within psychology and neuroscience as researchers seek to understand why some individuals experience an uncontrollable urge to consume highly palatable […]
Defining Affective Gastronomy Affective Gastronomy is an interdisciplinary field situated at the nexus of psychology, sensory science, and culinary arts, dedicated to exploring the profound emotional and psychological responses elicited by the consumption and anticipation of food. It moves beyond mere hedonic evaluation—which focuses simply on whether a food is liked or disliked—to investigate the […]
Introduction to Binge Eating Disorder Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is recognized as the most common eating disorder in the United States, yet its formal classification as a distinct diagnostic entity within the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5), only solidified relatively recently. Prior to this inclusion in 2013, patterns of recurrent […]
Binge Eating: Definition and Diagnostic Criteria Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is recognized as a distinct psychiatric illness characterized by recurrent episodes of eating an objectively large amount of food in a discrete period of time, accompanied by a subjective sense of loss of control over the eating episode. This condition is formally codified within the […]
The Emotional Context of Binge Eating Disorder Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is fundamentally a disorder of emotional dysregulation, where the consumption of large quantities of food serves as a maladaptive, albeit temporarily effective, mechanism for managing intense and overwhelming affective states. While the overt behavior involves food, the underlying pathology rests in the individual’s difficulty […]
The Conceptualization of Binge Eating Functions Binge eating, defined clinically as consuming an objectively large amount of food in a discrete period accompanied by a profound sense of loss of control, is often mistakenly viewed merely as a failure of willpower or a simple behavioral manifestation. However, psychological research consistently demonstrates that this behavior is […]
Introduction to Affective Associations and Food The study of affective associations with food delves into the intricate psychological landscape where emotional states, or affect, become inextricably linked to specific foods, eating behaviors, and dietary choices. This phenomenon transcends simple physiological hunger, representing a complex interplay between neurobiological reward systems, learned experiences, and cognitive processing. Affective […]